LOUIS 🗡

Wednesday, 2:23pm

_

IT'S TOO QUIET FOR A WEDNESDAY.

There's a tricky little system I've noticed about the week, and that's that Wednesdays are the worst of the lot. It's the middle of the week. You can't say the week is almost over, but you can't say it's far from done. It's just a boring day that puts everyone on edge.

So it doesn't make sense that it's quiet.

Tucking my pen behind my ear, I rolled up the sleeves of my shirt and kicked my feet up onto the desk. Working on the Ash case was proving to be more difficult than I thought, because I had little to no leads. William wasn't any help either—he avoided me out of spite ("you're obsessed, Partridge, just arrest them and be done with it")—so I couldn't rely on him for help either.

It was clear what I needed to do.

But getting it done was tricky.

Circling back to the present, I cast a wary look out of the window of my office. I could see the top of the London Eye spinning slowly through the waking sky, turning, and turning, and turning like the gears in my own mind. I needed something to do—someone to catch. Sitting around in an office and scrounging the world for details was proving to lead me nowhere.

I needed a motive.

A clue.

A—

"What the hell are you doing?" William spat out, throwing open the door to my office, "get on your feet and go!"

The pen fell off of my ear and tumbled to the floor at the rush of the man storming in. Picking it back up, I sent my partner a questioning glance.

"Go?" I asked.

"A bomb just went off on Oxford Street," the man said, his eyes flaring red, "didn't you get the alert?"

"No, I didn't get an alert."

"So bloody irresponsible, sometimes," Will mumbled under his breath, turning on his heels, "get a move on it', Partridge."

I knew it. It was too quiet for a Wednesday, and I somehow happened to miss the sound of an explosive from the other side of London. As I grabbed my suit coat from it's hanger, I slipped it on as I followed after my partner, checking the watch on my wrist in confusion.

Why didn't my alert go off?

I must have missed it, somehow, although that's nearly impossible. I'd need to ask the people down at Tech to look at it after I'm done with this detonation case. But as I brushed through the marbles hallways of headquarters, I felt a creeping suspicion playing in the back of my mind.

I think I know who's responsible for this.

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

"ANY CASUALTIES?" I asked William, bending down to inspect a piece of rubble.

The explosion was surprisingly small for what I expected—not even taking out the back part of the building—which explained why I didn't hear it from my office. But it was still of huge importance. A bomb set off randomly, no motive, murder, or madness involved.

From the looks of it, it was hand-made. No melded-metal scraps littering around, and no traces of industrial oil.

"Shop closed at noon," Franklyn-Miller said, handing me a report, "no deaths or injuries."

I pursed my lips. "Strange."

"It seems our pyrotechnic intentionally made sure no one was in the area."

"Are you sure it wasn't a coincidence?"

William gave me a look that was made of complete disbelief, and I agreed. A bomb was something you couldn't take lightly, and it was almost never a coincidence in whatever situation it was in. That just made it harder to find a motive.

"I'll search the area," I said, handing back the report, "we might need a forensic team brought in."

Weaving through the stragglers investigating alongside my team, I scanned the small section of town for anything I could use for information. My attire was making it a bit harder to do my job—a suit made me seem important (which I was, but I don't need everyone to know), and less people would be inclined to approach me. I wanted witnesses.

Taking another look at the clothing shop behind me, I squinted my eyes. Why would someone want to blow it up? It might have to do with the owner, the business, or the person. Maybe all three.

"I know you think I did it," a voice said from behind me, "so why don't you just say it?"

That voice.

Spinning around, I came face to face with a familiar grin lurking from deep between the crowd of bystanders, matched with a glimmering pair of devilish eyes. For a moment I was paralyzed in time, feeling myself get sucked into the memory of humiliation just a matter of days ago. She was staring straight at me. 

I couldn't reach for my gun, because there were too many people. She was using them like a shield—clever, though I hate to admit it.

She had something in her hands as well, although I didn't have a chance to see it completely, because she immediately turned and started walking away from me. I knew what game she was playing—cat and mouse—she wanted to know if I would follow after her.

And I will.

She's too precious of a target to pass up. If I could bring her in, then I'd be set for the rest of my life, while also basking in the pride of seeing her behind bars where she belongs.

Grazing my hand against the holster on my belt, I made sure my pistol was still intact before I began to slip through the sweltering crowd and after the girl. She knew I couldn't bring her in out in the open—because she wouldn't go down without a fight, and a fight in front of all these people would cause chaos. She was using human nature as a resource.

What a brilliant but twisted mind.

Shame she never put it to good use.

I wondered how far she'd go, but my thoughts were put at bay when she stopped skipping along the pavement and ducked into an alley instead. She disappeared behind the brick walls almost instantly.

I had no choice but to run after her, but maybe I could use this as my own resource. An alley was normally empty, which meant no people, which meant I could use my weaponry. I just had to find out what she was planning.

Nearing the entrance to the narrow space, I kept my hand over my gun, my ears straining for any hint of what might be around the bend. She could have a group of criminals ready to jump me as soon as I stepped foot inside, or she could have a weapon of her own.

I had to go with my instincts.

Slipping my pistol out of the holster, I flipped it into my grip and took a step into the darkness of the alleyway, prepared to meet my match.

"Freeze," I spat out, training my aim to the first shadow I saw, "you're under arrest."

I was expecting something brutal—something life-threatening at the very least—but instead I was met with the most unusual sight ever.

[y/n] Ash was sitting on a garbage bin, eating a ham sandwich as she watched me with a grin on her face. The alley had been cleared from all litter, making her and the bin the only thing I could see. What?

"I wouldn't move if I were you," she said, taking another bite from her snack.

I frowned. "Stop talking, and put your hands in the air."

"I said I wouldn't move if I was you," she repeated, holding up her hand. 

There was a certain distinctness in her voice that sounded like she was holding a weapon straight to my throat with it. I knew she probably could if she wanted.

"The thing about alleyways," she continued, "is that most of the time there's only one way in and out."

"Spare the dramatics," I spat out, "I'm taking you in."

"And I could have you taken out if you tried," she said, narrowing her eyes, "did you really think I would let you follow me into an alley without a proper form of defense?"

Of course I didn't think that, but I still hadn't found any 'defense' she proudly spoke of. She was just a girl, sitting on a garbage bin, eating a sandwich. She didn't even have a weapon on her—just that sick smirk.

"Elaborate," I commanded, nodding my head.

"I've got someone sitting in a nearby building, a sniper locked and loaded if you try to attempt anything," she explained, "take a step towards me, and you won't live to see another day, Darling."

I scoffed. "I don't believe you."

"You don't have to, but are you sure that's a risk you want to take?" She smiled.

It was taking everything in my power not to pull the trigger, because my blood boiled just by being in the same world as her. She was crazy enough to do it—put a sniper on me, I mean—but she was also crazy enough to try and take me for a fool. It was a never ending game with her, and I'd only met her once.

She was like a vulture.

"I'll humor your threat just this once," I said, pressing my lips into a thin line, "but you'll be in jail before you can blink, Ash."

She had the audacity to blink just to spite my words. Then she took another bite of her sandwich, chewing it thoroughly as if I didn't just threaten her future.

"Jail?" She said innocently, "for what?"

"You know what."

"No, I don't."

"For blowing up that bloody shop," I said, gesturing to the smoky street behind me, "I know you did it."

I knew she did it. Why else would she be lingering around in the area and dragging me into alleys so she could mock me for not being able to catch her? She was everything I hated in this world, and I wanted her to be out of my life and behind bars.

But she just shrugged.

"I didn't do that," she said curtly.

I frowned. "I know you did."

"You can't prove that."

"You're lingering around the area, that's reason enough."

"Oh, but I have an alibi, darling," she smiled sweetly, pushing herself off the bin and onto her feet, "maybe you should check your facts before you accuse."

"An Alibi?" I scoffed, "as if I'd believe that."

"Where do you think I got this sandwich from?" She grinned, "Greggs make the best sausage rolls, did you know?"

"Of course I bloody know."

"Good," she smiled, "anyways, I'm glad you followed me, because that meant we could have our little chat."

"A chat? You staged all this for a chat?"

"An offer," she shrugged, "or, in your case, a deadline."

She crossed the space between us, unblinking, even as she stopped a few inches away from me. She was taunting me. She knew that if I moved, she could kill me with that 'sniper' of hers—and it was too much of a risk to call fake.

"We both know one of us will win this game between us," she said, lowering her voice, "either you catch me, or I kill you."

She slowly raised her hand, not daring to move her gaze as she placed the pad of her finger against my jawline and began to trace it all the way to the bottom of my chin. She knew I couldn't move, and I could see her laughing about it behind her eyes.

"The question is," she whispered, "who will it be?"

I narrowed my eyes. "Do you want me to answer that?"

"No," she said, stepping away from me, "but here's the fun part. I've agreed to give you twenty days to catch me, but if you can't, then I'll kill you."

"You can't kill me."

"You're the one with a sniper planted on the back of your head," she shrugged, "I could kill you if I want. But do you agree to the game or not?"

I knew what she was doing. She wanted me to say yes, because she probably had tricks up her sleeves that she'd use to humiliate me. But if I said no, then I'd look like a coward. I chose not to answer instead.

"It's stupid," I said.

"It's entertaining," she grinned," but I'll take that as yes."

Brushing her hair out of her face, she prepared to leave, but I noticed something. As she lifted her hand, the end of her leather jacket fell to the side, displaying a tattoo inked on the inside of her wrist. A triangle surrounding a flame, with words I didn't have time to read inked on the bottom.

When she saw my intrigued glance, she rolled her eyes, covering it back up and walking past me.

"Don't," she said, her footsteps fading away.

I slowly turned to watch her. "Don't what?"

Whatever was on her wrist was personal to her, it seemed. She was so comfortable asserting her pride in front of me, yet once I noticed something that wasn't supposed to be seen, she shrunk away.

"Twenty days," she said, changing the subject, "time starts now."

And then she neared the end of the alleyway, her figure illuminated by the red and grey haze blowing in from behind her. The aftermath of the explosion she caused. It was like watching her revel in chaos.

"And by the way, Louis," she said, drawing out my name with spiteful intent, "there was never any sniper."

And before I could even blink, she disappeared into the crowd.

_

the words on her tattoo are one of my favorite quotes from this book, so I can't wait till you find out what it says hehehehehehehe.